The Brutalist: Monumentally Devastating

The Brutalist is a monumental film that explores the tensions between art and power, resulting in a devastating epic of an immigrant experience.

Rating: 8.1/10

Highlights

• Incredible performances by all involved

• Beautifully shot in VistaVision

• Well-crafted soundtrack

Lowlights

• Brody's role is very similar to his role in The Pianist

• Time-consuming (though it doesn't feel too long)

• Difficult to watch

Six weeks after watching The Brutalist, I still have yet to digest the film. It is a monument of tragedy, devastation, hope, and a solemn musing on the intersection of power and art. The Brutalist is overwhelming in its stature and ambitions, despite being relatively low-budget. Brody stuns with a role of depth and intimacy, and the supporting cast of Joe Alwyn, Felicity Jones, and Guy Pearce are equally compelling in his wake. Throughout the film, László's anxiety and hope are personified through the soundtrack, which mirrors his bareboned artistic style and deep, rumbling emotions. The Brutalist lays gratingly bare the reality of what happens when art and power are set at odds — turns out, power trumps art. A provocative and moving piece of art overall, The Brutalist succeeds in stunning the audience through a story of immigration, pain, and hope.

Liked The Brutalist? Watch The Pianist, a similar movie about a European artist during World War II, also featuring an Academy-Award-winning performance by Adrien Brody. Watch the trailer here.

Watch the trailer!